Rediscovering God's Appointed Times – From Shadows to Fulfillment

As I continue this journey in my blog, my heart swells with a mix of sorrow and excitement. In the previous chapter, we peeled back the layers of tradition surrounding Christmas, revealing its pagan roots and the well-intentioned but misguided attempts to "Christianize" them. Now, for those who may feel a void—those wondering, "If not Christmas or Easter, then how do we celebrate the birth and resurrection of our Lord?"—this chapter offers a beautiful alternative rooted not in human invention, but in the very Word of God. We're not abandoning celebration; we're reclaiming it in its purest form. The early church, comprised of both Jewish and Gentile believers, didn't need Roman holidays to honor Christ. Before Constantine's influence in the fourth century, they observed the biblical feast days outlined in Leviticus 23. These weren't mere "Jewish holidays"; they were God's holy convocations, designed as eternal signposts pointing to the Messiah. Let's explore this with open hearts, allowing Scripture to guide us. This isn't about legalism or cultural regression—it's about returning to the roots of our faith, where joy flows from obedience and truth.

Imagine the first-century church: Jewish believers like Peter and Paul, alongside Gentiles grafted into the olive tree of Israel (Romans 11:17-24, KJV). They didn't discard the feasts; they saw them fulfilled in Christ. Acts 2:1 (KJV) records the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Shavuot), one of God's appointed times. Acts 20:16 shows Paul hurrying to Jerusalem for Pentecost, even after his conversion. In 1 Corinthians 16:8, he plans to stay in Ephesus until Pentecost. These weren't optional cultural relics; they were living memorials. Non-Jewish believers joined in, as seen in the Council's decision in Acts 15—not to burden Gentiles with the full Mosaic law, but to foster unity without erasing God's feasts. Before Constantine's edicts blended Christianity with Roman paganism (like declaring Sunday worship and adopting solstice festivals), the church celebrated Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These days wove the gospel story into the calendar, foreshadowing Christ's work.

Consider the birth of Jesus. Scripture doesn't specify December 25, but clues point to the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) in autumn. John 1:14 (KJV) declares, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," where "dwelt" translates to "tabernacled"—echoing Sukkot's temporary booths symbolizing God's presence among His people. During Tabernacles, Jews commemorated God's dwelling in the wilderness; how fitting for the Incarnation, when God tabernacled in human flesh! Zechariah 14:16-19 prophesies all nations keeping Tabernacles in the millennium, linking it to Christ's eternal reign. We'll tabernacle with Him forever (Revelation 21:3, KJV). If we yearn to celebrate Christ's birth, why not align with this biblical feast, free from pagan overlays?

For the resurrection, Easter pales in comparison. Derived from "Eostre" or "Ishtar," the bare-breasted fertility goddess of ancient Babylon and Anglo-Saxon lore, Easter incorporates eggs and bunnies—symbols of reproduction and spring renewal tied to pagan rites.[^1] Yet, Christ's resurrection occurred during the Feast of Firstfruits, following Passover (1 Corinthians 15:20-23, KJV: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept"). Passover commemorates deliverance from Egypt's bondage; Christ, our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7, KJV), was crucified then. The early church observed Passover as a memorial of His death and resurrection, not a separate "Easter." Justin Martyr, in his *Dialogue with Trypho* (circa AD 150), notes Christians keeping Passover in remembrance of Christ.[^2] Why settle for a fertility festival when Passover proclaims true liberation from sin?

Sadly, the Catholic Church, influenced by anti-Semitic sentiments and Roman syncretism, labeled these as "Jewish" to distance Christianity from its Hebraic foundations. This mindset seeped into Protestantism, where many view the feasts as obsolete. But any serious Bible student sees otherwise. Leviticus 23:2 (KJV) declares, "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts." Not Israel's feasts—God's. Verse 14 adds for Firstfruits: "It shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings." For Unleavened Bread: "Ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread... by an ordinance for ever" (Exodus 12:17, KJV). Pentecost: "Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days... Ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you... it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations" (Leviticus 23:16-21, KJV). Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles receive similar eternal mandates (Leviticus 23:24, 31, 41, KJV: "a statute for ever").

If these have "passed away," why does Scripture foresee their future observance? Isaiah 66:23 (KJV) prophesies: "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD." Ezekiel 45-46 details feast days in the millennial temple, including Passover and Tabernacles (Ezekiel 45:21-25, KJV). Zechariah 14:16-19 warns nations neglecting Tabernacles will face drought. Even in the New Testament, Colossians 2:16-17 (KJV) calls them "a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ"—not abolished, but fulfilled, pointing to greater realities. We don't observe them under Old Covenant legalism, with animal sacrifices or temple rituals (Hebrews 10:1-10, KJV). Instead, they're intertwined with the gospel: Passover (Christ's death), Unleavened Bread (sinless life, purging sin), Firstfruits (resurrection), Pentecost (Holy Spirit's outpouring), Trumpets (rapture or second coming), Atonement (final judgment), Tabernacles (eternal dwelling). The mystery of the gospel unfolds in them (Ephesians 3:3-6, KJV). This is why the enemy has attacked them fiercely, replacing God's calendar with pagan substitutes like Christmas and Easter. How tragic that we've inherited lies from our forefathers (Jeremiah 16:19, KJV: "O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit").

This isn't the Hebrew Roots movement, which sometimes veers into legalism or denies Christ's fulfillment. It's a pure Christian Roots movement—returning to biblical patterns as the early church did. Nobody bats an eye at celebrating Christ's birth on a pagan solstice date or resurrection amid fertility symbols, yet mention God's feasts, and cries of "legalism!" and "bondage!" erupt. How twisted can we be? If you weren't under bondage celebrating under a pagan day that honored false gods, how could honoring God on His appointed times—days He called perpetual—be legalism? It defies logic. Romans 8:2 (KJV) frees us from sin's law, not from joyful obedience. Galatians 5:1 (KJV) warns against yokes of bondage, but God's feasts liberate, revealing Christ's redemptive plan.

In true freedom, if believers choose to honor the Lord, they can do so without violating His commands. For instance, during Tabernacles, setting up a simple creche or manger scene reminds us Jesus tabernacled with us and will return to dwell eternally. Where does that contradict Scripture? It's a far cry from pagan symbols like the Yule log (from Norse midwinter fires honoring Thor[^3]), Christmas trees (echoing Jeremiah 10:3-5's decked idols[^4]), or Santa Claus (blending Odin, the Norse god of yule feasts, with St. Nicholas; "Old Nick" is even a dictionary term for Lucifer or the devil[^5]). These are documented in historical texts: Ronald Hutton's *Stations of the Sun* traces Yule logs to pre-Christian Europe[^6]; Clement Miles' *Christmas in Ritual and Tradition* links trees to Germanic pagan evergreens[^7]; and the Oxford English Dictionary notes "Old Nick" as slang for Satan since the 17th century[^8]. Why borrow from darkness when God's light suffices?

Dear reader, this is true freedom: laying down traditions that entangle us (Hebrews 12:1, KJV). As Jesus said in Mark 7:13 (KJV), traditions make "the word of God of none effect." Let's embrace God's appointed times, not as burdens, but as blessings. In them, we find the full gospel story, celebrated in spirit and truth. My prayer is that this awakens a hunger for biblical purity, drawing us closer to the One who ordained these days for our good. In love, let's step into this heritage—God's feasts, forever.

[^1]: Hislop, Alexander. *The Two Babylons* (1858), pp. 91-102, detailing Ishtar's fertility cults.

[^2]: Justin Martyr. *Dialogue with Trypho*, Chapter 111.

[^3]: Frazer, James George. *The Golden Bough* (1890), Vol. 10, on Yule fire rituals.

[^4]: Though debated, the principle applies; see Taylor, Richard. *How to Read a Church* (2003), on pagan tree worship.

[^5]: Oxford English Dictionary, "Nick, n." entry, sense 4b.

[^6]: Hutton, Ronald. *Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain* (1996), Chapter 1.

[^7]: Miles, Clement A. *Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan* (1912), pp. 262-271.

[^8]: As above, OED reference.